Seek and Identify

Posted on Thu Sep 19th, 2024 @ 2:05pm by Captain Malcom Llwyedd & Lieutenant Gale Deekros & Lieutenant Hank Solomon

1,373 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Interlude 1 Gamma Quadrant
Location: USS Firebird, Captain's Ready Room, Deck 1

[ON]

Malcom stood up from his desk and walked over to the couch and sat down again. He sighed and closed his eyes. He just didn't have enough time in the day and he had too many big issues to just pawn them off on someone else. He had a meeting scheduled with his two new Science Department members, which was good because the rest of the department had disappeared while investigating the wormhole closure.

You could say many things about Gale, but being late was not one of them. The Trill science officer approached the ready room door as he stepped to the ready room door and pressed the recessed button beside it to let the captain know he was here. Maybe there was something fascinating AND geological happening, finally!

Gale glanced behind him, curious if the other new science officer, who he'd only encountered in passing, was also on the punctual side.

Hank walked along the corridor with his steady pace. His uniform and overall appearance was simply perfect. Definitely a heritage of his time in the Academy where he put lots of effort not only in the day-to-day studies but also in being the living expression of a Starfleet recruiting advertisement.
Not having lots to deal with, at the moment, he timed himself so as to arrive at the meeting in the Captain's ready room at the exact time he was due to report as per the invitation. As he approached the room, he noticed a fellow officer waiting in front of the door.

"Good morning" he gently approached him with a reassuring smile.

"Look at that - no scatterbrained science officers arriving late here," Gale said with a smile at his fellow science officer. "On my last ship, well, it's not that the others didn't try to be late, it's just that they'd get so absorbed in their work that they'd lose all sense of time-"

Just like Gale was doing now, blabbering on. The Trill gave a grimacing smile as he pressed the button beside the door. "I think I still rang it on time," he said, trying to still that rising wave of embarrassment creeping into his visage as if it was his spots.

A silent composed chuckle showed up on Hank's face. He liked how this officer picked up. He just closed in on him waiting for the door to slid open.

Malcom looked up as the two science officers came in. He'd had time to talk to both of them individually and had been impressed.

"Welcome to you both, please come in and sit down," he said and waited until they complied with his suggestion and sat down in the two chairs that faced the couch, with a small table between them.

"I hope that you've had some time to explore the science labs. Before your arrival, about eight months ago, Starfleet Command removed our contingent of Marines and replaced them with a beefed-up security section and some advanced science labs. We haven't had much reason to use them but I think that is about to end," Malcom said and leaned forward. "I want the two of you to figure out what kind of power was used to make those four devices that displaced the wormhole and the Runabout."

Gale settled into one of the chairs, steepling his fingers and resting them on his knees. As the captain spoke, the Trill's eyebrows began to rise into his spotted brow. While the challenge the captain presented them with wasn't exactly geological, it was definitely a problem worth solving. "I think if there ever was a reason to begin using such a valuable and might I admit quite a wonderful resource, this is an excellent one."

Sitting next to Gale, Hank processed the request of the Captain with mixed feelings. The mystery of the disappearance of the science detail was something that touched him deeply. Such an assignment was also his very first request in his new position and it would not be an easy one. Definitely a challenge. He quickly processed the information he had on the matter and asked. "Do we already have preliminary data gathered from the base sensors and/or the nearby vessels that happened to pass by during the anomaly displacement?". He didn't want to waste any time.

Malcom nodded. "Yes. I've had all the sensor log information uploaded into your databases. Additionally, the devices were originally hidden by some large asteroids. I've had those asteroids towed nearby so that you can explore them and see if there is additional information you can glean from them. Hopefully, with all that information you can come up with a course of action. Please keep me informed and let me know if you need anything from me."

Gale's steepled fingers pressed tightly together at the mention of the asteroids. "Besides acting as cover for the devices, there is a vast array of minerals that could have, intentionally or inadvertently, affected the displacement. Astrogeology is my core discipline, and if there is any role that those rocks played in this event - and that we can use to bring our people back and restore the wormhole - we'll find it," the Trill said, looking towards Hank with a serious resolution that he prayed was stronger at the sheer giddiness of getting to, literally, play with rocks.

The CSO drafted a small asymmetric smile. He liked rocks too, mostly to climb then other than to limit himself in their study, but it was nice to see the colleague had such a passion and experience. "we will analyze them for sure, we'll start from the reports and the data already gathered, then dig deeper" he confirmed his plan.

"Was that a geology pun?" Gale grinned broadly at Solomon, then looked towards their captain. "Oh, I think we're going to work very well together. I'm not saying we'll have this solved by night shift, but we're going to get to the bottom of this." The Trill cleared his throat, his smile widening as his love for wordplay - and words in general - got the better of him. "Whether that bottom is rocky or not."

Despite the dire circumstances, Malcom couldn't help but be amused at the camaraderie already forming between the two scientists.

"I would appreciate you do your best to bring me some actionable data as soon as possible. Right now we are making progress on DS18 but we have more ships from the Alpha Quadrant knocking on our doors each day. Many of them have complex challenges and our resources only go so far. We need the wormhole open as soon as possible. I'm hoping that the lost away team is working the problem wherever they are but that's not a plan. You two are my plan. Keep me informed." He smiled at them and then walked out of the room.

Gale drew his shoulders back as the captain exited the ready room. "Do you hear that? We're the plan to rescue our comrades and restore contact with the Alpha Quadrant." Gods knew it would be nice to hear from his mother, and from Tara, his brilliant physicist and best friend, who would probably already have a solution in hand. The Trill rubbed at his beard as a smile tugged at his lips. "It's an exhilarating if daunting thought. Hopefully more the former. But I'd say we're up to the challenge?"

"We're the plan ..." He arched his eyebrows "No pressure, huh?" Hank commented after the captain left. "Yeah, it will be a hard task but we might come up with something for sure. I still haven't had the possibility to visit the lab, would you mind showing me the way?" He asked the colleague.

Gale rose from his chair and grinned as he stepped towards the ready room door, already opening for his approach. "I'd be delighted."

[OFF]

Captain Malcom Llwyedd
Commanding Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298

Lieutenant Hank Solomon
Chief Science Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298

Lieutenant Gale Deekros
Science Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298

 

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